Together with water quality professionals, the area chapter of Iowa Women for Water is again sponsoring a local water data collection program. As they did in 2023 & 2024, teams will collect water samples from local streams April-October 2025. “We’ve joined the Isaac Walton League and other environmental organizations concerned about water quality in Iowa,” says Laura Krause, local Iowa Women for Water chapter member and owner of Abbe Hills Farm. “Folks want to see for themselves what’s in our water. They’ve read or heard that Iowa’s streams and rivers are polluted and are sharing what they learn with elected officials.”

The teams are measuring nitrates and other pollutants in the water. The data is being consolidated and presented by project leader Dr. Marty St. Clair, former chemistry professor now working in research at the University of Iowa College of Engineering.

“Anyone who wants to join a team is welcome,” says chapter member Marie DeVries. “We test the third Saturday of the month April through October. It takes less than an hour.” The first 2025 test date is Saturday, April 19.

For more information, email marie. [email protected].